In summary

A bill explicitly designed to protect California’s environment against rollbacks of federal laws failed to come up for a vote in the last days of the legislative session.

California has adopted an undeniably pugilistic stance toward the Trump Administration, fighting against every edict that appears to undermine the state’s own policies and views.

Boxers. Photo by Flickr.

But not every blow lands.

That was the case last week, when a bill explicitly designed to protect California’s environment against rollbacks of federal laws, failed to come up for a vote in the last days of the lawmaking year.

The California Environmental, Public Health and Workers Defense Act was intended to make federal laws that protect air, water and endangered species enforceable here even if those standards were weakened by the Trump administration.

The measure, co-authored by Democratic Sens. Kevin de León of Los Angeles and Henry Stern of Canoga Park, also sought to maintain current regulations for public health and worker safety.

The bill did not make it to the Assembly floor. It is expected to be revisited after the Legislature reconvenes in January.

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Julie Cart joined CalMatters as a projects and environment reporter in 2016 after a long career at the Los Angeles Times, where she held many positions: sportswriter, national correspondent and environment...